N.Z.’S TEAM FOR GAMES

Press, Volume XCIV, Issue 28053, 22 August 1956, Page 5

N.Z.’S TEAM FOR GAMES

ATHLETICS

OVERSEAS COACH FAVOURS EARLIER DEPARTURE (New Zealand Press Association) AUCKLAND, August 21. The athletics coach, Frank Stampfl, thinks New Zealand’s Olympic Games contingent is going to Australia too late to have a reasonable chance of success. He thinks 14 days is the minimum period in which the New Zealanders can acclimatise themselves to Melbourne’s weather conditions and finish off their pre-competition training build-up. It is already planned that the contingent will leave Christchurch by air in two groups on November 19 and 20, only two days before the Games open on November 22. "If the team is not going to be there ''"rly, then it v'ould be better if it arrived just the day before,” said Stampfl. But this will mean the athletes will not have time to recover from the trip. Even four to five hours in a plane has its effects." Mr Stampfl considered it was desirable for New Zealand’s contingent to do its final training in Melbourne immediately prior to the athletic events. Mr H. I. Austad. chairman of the New Zealand Olympic and British Games Association, refused to comment on Mr Stampfl’s remarks today. He said the decision on the departure times was made iome time ago, when the planes were chartered.